Dustpan



- the closed endthereoil Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

v UNITED fs'r ATEs PATENT orricaf WILLIAM E. FRIEsoFcYNWYD, PENNSYLVANIA. i I

Dus'rPA v, I

Application filed June 13, 1925. serial No. 36,892;

My invention relates to that type of covered dust pans which, when rocked upon the floor'by the ai'd'of a handle, automati cally effects the opening of "the cover and which, when lifted by, the medium of the handle, automatically effects the closing of effecting the operation of the cover by means of wires, links,.crank arms andflex ible" devices such as chains and cords.

One object of my invention is to produce an improved dust pan of the previously mentioned general type which will be of a more simple construction than those previously invented. A

Another object is to so make my improved dust pan that it will be durable and exceptionally neat in appearance without any objectionable exterior parts which would detract from its appearance and catch on objects during use. Owing to said simple construction and neat appearance of my improved dust pan, it is particularlydesirable for use by porters and attendants 1n the lobbiesof hotels, public buildings and other places where it is necessary to clean while being closely observed.

A further object is to so arrange the parts of my improved dust pan that it can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

These objects and other advantageous ends which will be set forth hereinafter, I attain inv the following manner, reference bein had to the accompanying drawing inwhic Figure 1 is aside elevation showing a dust pan made in accordance with my invention resting in operative position upon the floor, the cover being open, I

Figure 2 is a side elevation of'myimproved dust pan showing the parts'in the positions which they automatically assume when the device is lifted from the floor by the pole of the handle, the cover being closed,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, c

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the parts in the position illustrated in Figure 2,

Figure 5 is" a perspective view of my improved dust panin the position shown in Figure 1, an

Figured is a perspective view of myrdust pan illustrating the. parts in the position which they assume when being carried for suspended by the pole of the handle; v Referring' to the drawing, 7 represents the case lofthe dust pan which includes a closed end '8 which is preferably made of curved formation in the well known manner to allow arocking or tilting movement. of the case .upon the floor. as hereinafter de closed as shown at '9, the remaining portion be ng open as shown at 10, the opening also extendingto the end 11 so as to allowdust and dirt to be swept into the casewhenin scribed. The top of the case isf partially the position shown in Figures 1 and 5, the front edge 12 of the bottom 13 also resting V upon the floor. A cover 14 is hinged at 15 to the top of the case and when closed as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 6, said cover serves toohscure the contents of the case .7.

The cover 14 is preferably provided'with' an angular portion 16, which, when the cover is closed, serves to cover that portion of the opening of the case between the front edges 17 of the opposite sides 18 and 19 of the case. Said angular portion 16 has a central hole 20-which is preferably surrounded by a ring 21 by soldering or otherwise applying said ring to the portion 16. A handie. 22 includes a pole 23, and a bail 24. The pole 23 may be made of a metallic pi e with the portion 27 of the bail secured in t e end of the pipe preferably by notching the lower end of the pipe as shown at 28. Pivot members or t trunnions 25 and 26 extend through holes 28 and 29in the sides18 and 19 of the case 7 and forma swinging support or pivot for the case 7, thelocation of said holes and trunnions being such, with respect to the center of gravity of the case 7, that when the device is lifted by the pole23, the end 8 of the case will automatically swing from the position shown in Figures 1 and 5 to the position shown in Figures 2,

3, 4 and 6. The pole 23 exten'dsthrough the and 33, the screw threading preferably be ing such as to prevent the nuts frombinding against the sides 18 and 19 The arrangement of the parts as illustrated is such that, when the cover-is in its closed position, the weight of the caseand the position of the lower end of the pole within the hole 20 will retain the cover in a closed position so {that the cover cannot accidently be opened since the parts will be held in the position clearly illustrated in Figure 4, the iameter of the hole 20 being slightly larger than'that of the pole 23. When, however, the device is lowered so that the end 8 enga" es and rocks upon the floor, the pole 23 wii act asa cam against the wall of the hole 20 and by maintaining a substantially vertical position ofthe handle during the rocking movement of the case 7 the wall of the hole 20 will slide along the pole 23 and A effect theopeningof the cover into the posi- 'tion shown in Figures 1 and 5. When the pole 23 is againflifted the case 7 will swing on the trunnions 25 and 26 as a pivot with the end r8 lowermost and during this action the pole '23 will again act as a cam in contact with thewall of the hole 20 and close the cover. 'By followin out the construction as above describe" and as illustrated on the drawing, I have found it unnecessary to provide any complicated constructions such as present in dust pans made prior to my invention, the mere cam action between the pole of the handle and the wall of the hole '20 of the cover '14 serving to both open and close the cover. Another advantage is that no exterior parts are necessary and it is unnecessary to connect the handle or any of jitsparts directly with any part on the cover by'any such means as previously set forth ,as being present in devices invented prior to my invention. As shown in Figure 6, the case and cover are free oi: any attaching means with respectto the pole'of the handle or adjacent parts other than the mere hinging of the cover to the case. Thus there are no objectionable projections or exterior parts which take from the neat appearance of the device and the utility when the device is used for purposes above mentioned.

In the actual use of my improved dust pan as illustrated and as above described, the cover has been found to freely open and close when thedevice is operated as above described, the proportioning of the parts being such as to allow the use of the device in a practical manner. v Having thus described my invention what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Let ters Patent .is :1- a

1. A dust pan including a case; a cover;

a movable connection between the case and coversaid cover'having a hole therethrough providing awa'll, the wall of said hole being fixed relatively to the face surfaces of Sai cover; and a handle pivotajlly connected to said caseoil its center offgravit 'andhavin'g a portion extending throu h said hole inthe cover, said hole bein re atively spaced at suchdist-ance from t emovable connection between the caseand cover and from the pivotal connection between the handle and case as to allow said handle ing contact with one part oi the wallet said hole tofeffect opening movemei-tt of the cover when the case is lowered, "through the inedium of the handle, into contact with the floor andthen rocked or tilted upon the floor, said handle portion being operative by sliding contact with another part of the W511 f said hole to effect closing movement of said cover when the caseis lifted through the medium of said handle,

2.- A dust pan including a case; a cover lnovably connected to said case, said cover having a hole therethrough; and a handle including a pole portion and a bail portion,

a the bail portionbeing pivotally connected'to the case and adapted to swin entirely within the case,'said pole portion 0 the handle extending out through said hole andby contact with the wall of said hole respectively efi'ect in'g operation of the cover into 0 en and closed positions when the case is roc ed or titled upon the floor and when the case is lifted through the medium of the pole.

3. A dust pan including a case; a cover movable relatively to the case and having a hole therethrough; and a handle having a.

portion extending downward through said hole, said portion below said hole carrying a part pivotally connecting withsaid case at a. position above its center of gravity, said portion of the handle by sliding contact with thewall of said hole acting to operatefsaid cover when the case is tilted relatively to said pivotally connecting part. I w

4. A dustpan comprising a body having a lip portion, a handle having pivotal: connection internally of the 'dustpan with the body in such a manner that the rear portion of the dustpa-n will swing down when lifted from the floor-by the handle, said body having a fixed hood over the rear portion thereof, and a swinging hood controlled by said handle, hinged to the front edge of the fixed hood, adapted to swing into engagement with said lip portion when the dustpan is lifted by said handle, the handle connections being enclosed when the front hood is closed, the swinging hood being thereby automatically opened when the dustpan is placed on the floor, and automatically closed when the dustpan is lifted from the floor, the handle extending through the swinging hood.

5. A structure as specified in claim 4, said hood having its front portion rovided with an opening through which said handle extends, and' a swinging bail within said hood and dustpan, forming said internal connection, to which said handle is attached, said bail having pivotal engagement with the sides of the dustpan.

6. A structure as specified in claim 4, said In testimony whereof, I have signed my 7 name to this specification. 7

WILLIAM P. FRIES. 

